In honor of this week’s Peter Pan & Wendy, we have ranked five great Peter Pan movies and where you can stream them (right now).
Disney
This week a new version of “Peter Pan,” inspired by both the 1953 Disney film and the original works by J.M. Barrie, splashes on Disney+. And it was enough to make us think about the many, many times the story has been brought to life (and where this new live-action film ranks among them). With that in mind we decided to list five great versions of the “Peter Pan” story – and where to stream them. Make sure you’ve got your pixie dust and remember that to get to Never Land, it’s the second star on the right and straight on until morning.
Also, two runners-up we wanted to address: the 1924 silent film version from Paramount Pictures (with Betty Bronson as Pan and Scottish character actor Ernest Torrence as Hook), which is often cited in the same breath as the Disney version as being the most influential; and Joel Schumacher’s 1987 horror comedy “The Lost Boys,” which uses the framework established by J.M. Barrie to tell the story of vampires on the California coast. Not only is “The Lost Boys” a fun reinvention of the mythology but it’s also one of the most visually arresting movies of the 1980s.
Sony
5. Hook (1991)
Okay, “great” might be stretching it here. Steven Spielberg had long wanted to make a “Peter Pan” movie, even talking to Disney about a more direct remake of the indelible 1953 classic (see below) before settling on this version of the story, with an adult Peter (Robin Williams) who becomes a cutthroat businessman and forgets about Never Land until a vengeful hook abducts his children. That forces him back to where he grew up and makes him reconnect with his childhood. Spielberg abandoned this idea for a while, asserting that he had explored the themes well enough in “Empire of the Sun.” He probably should have stayed away. The movie Spielberg made years later is cold and detached; for a man often criticized for his schmaltzy sentimentality and earnestness it often comes across as cynical. Not that it’s completely without its joys – the cast is uniformly excellent (Dustin Hoffman as Hook, Bob Hoskins as Smee, Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell) and the production design and cinematographer are often spellbinding. The score, by John Williams, is also terrific which is maybe to be expected considering at one point it was a musical (seriously). But the chaotic production can also be felt in every frame, as the movie wobbles while trying to establish a tonal bedrock. Some who saw the movie as a kid consider it an underrated classic. Not us. (Streaming on HBO Max.)
Warner Bros.
4. Pan (2015)
Poor “Pan.” Meant as a sort of “Peter Pan” origin story (and potential franchise-starter), it’s the tale of how Peter Pan (played by adorable newcomer Levi Miller) was abducted by a fearsome pirate and brought to Never Land.
